Apparatus for twisting and winding yarns



Jan. 5, 1954 J. J. GANNON ET AL APPARATUS FOR TWISTING AND WINDING YARNS Filed Feb. l1, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l e7 We FIG. 6

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o... RIV /l 92 Q 2 2 INVENTORS JOHN J. GANNON lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I CHARLES I3. POWELL JHN J. FI ELLA mw FIG.

ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1954 J. J. GANNON ET AL 2,664,694.

APPARATUS FOR TWISTING AND WINDING YARNS Filed Feb. l1, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 FIG. 3

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INVENTOR. JOHN J. GANNON |9 CHARLES P POWELL BY JoHNyci-:LLA FIGS M l Y/ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1954 AUNITED -P "ufr trice APPARATUS FOR TWISTINGJANUWINDING YYARNS Application' February 11, 1949,5seria1` N0.\75,942

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus forvvinding a long, vslender bundle of textile bers on'a` bobbin tolform'a package, for also twisting the' bers of the bundle during the winding operation and maybe included in approximately a 2vfor l'twist to the yarn in-a rapid, continuous operation, f and, in the same operation alsowndingthe ytwisted yarn on-fa bcbbinA to form av package; with whichbre'akage of the yarn will be a minimum; which will Ihandle the yarn at least as;v rapidly as by previous methods and apparatus'for twistingand winding ywit-h which the yarn mayrbewound on a bobbin either in helical formwith superposed layers, or `with `truste-conical llayers, superimposed in telescoping or nesting relation; and whichwill have maximum .capacity and Yminimum breakage of the yarns,

Another object 'of this invention is tov twist 'and wind ayarn ona 'package at maximum speed without undue stretching or breaking ofthe yarn, and tol generally speed up the winding and 4twisting operation.

Another object of the `inventionisto provide improved apparatus `for accomplishing each-of these objects which will berelatively simple, compact, durable, convenient, inexpensive, and -of relatively large capacity.

Other objects and advantages will be lapparent from thefollowingdescription of one embodiment oi' the invention, land the novel features thereof will be yparticularly pointed out hereinafter in the appended' claims. i

in' the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in sectionand partly schematic, ofy apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention and useful for practicing the method, shown in half scale;

. Figs zf-isfia! ide "elevation fofihthe winding mem- -11 Claims. Cl. 574458.65)

berand free end'of the spindle employed in the same, shown in double scale;

F'gjf isa top plan view of the winding member' shown in Fig. 2;

Fig."4 is a sectional elevation of the winding member shown in Fig. 2, with the section taken approximatelylalong the linedd of Fig. 3;

Fig' is a side elevation, partly in section, of the winding "member, 'the 'section being taken approximately along the 'line 5-"5 of Fig.; 3;

Gis a frontiplan 'of' the winding'imember;

Fig. 7 is a plan of part ofthe' permanent magnets; and

*Figi-8 is-afpa'rtial section andfplan, taken approximately along the' line"8-=8 of Fig. 3.

vIn the illustrated Vembodinrrent"ofthe invention, and referring first particularlyv to Fig. 1,"the invventionis illustrated'by Way ofl example, as part of a-rneohanismv fordrawing "rovings `of staple lbersto form a-.twsted yarn, vand windingthe yarn'fona bobbin.` Any suitable drawing` mech- Vanism fwhicn'w'ill combine rovings to form 'a strand of yarn, an-'operation frequently called `spinning from double rovingyandto deliver this 'yarn' to the 'rollers' I, mayl be used. 'Whenayarn is merely to be twisted, itV is delivered tothe twist- -ingandwinding device vfroma-pair offeeding rollers-1|. f

Disposed immediately below and aligned "with feeding rollers I is a twisting and Winding device, designated generally "at '-3, Which is rotatably mountedfin abearng V1l' that'is carried on vany suitable support or platform.

AThe bearing l (Fig. l) carries'verticallyspaced -ball or other Vlow friction bearings 5 and 6 which rotatably support av sleeve' l, and this sleevesur- 'rounds the Vintermediate part ofa spindle t. The bearings 5 and t are combined radial and end thrustA bea-rings,` which by their engagement with shoulders on the sleeve 'l prevent the sleeve from moving-vertically, yet the sleeve may rotate about the-axis of thespindle and the Vspindle may move en'dwise therethrough. A grooved lpulley (not show-n) yis xed upon the lower end of the sleeve l andis drivenV by a belt, so that the sleeve will be continuously driven. Any suitablemeansof drivingthisfmechanism can be used, and referenceisheremade to a suitable method disclosed infilo-pending application for patent, Serial'No. 36,4S5,iiled July 1, 1948, now Patent Number 2,558,677.

A lock nut 9 is threaded on the sleeve? against bearing" 5 to secure the sleeve 1 and keep the ball bearings-5 and 6 in position. Positioned in acircularrgroove Yon ther top of bearing`4 is a 3 single permanent magnet le, annular in shape. This magnet i9 is secured to the top -of bearing 4 by two clamps II and I2. Drilled holes in clamps II and I2 permit the passage of screws I3 to be threaded into holes in bearing 4 and thus secure the clamps in place.

Immediately above the bearing 4, the sleeve 'I is provided with a shoulder or external peripheral flange I4 on which rests a circular ier 63 that encircles the sleeve. This flier is radially grooved and a tube or guide I5 is carried in the groove for rotation with the ier. immediately above and resting on the guide I5, which is grooved to receive it, and the flier is a ring I6, which is fastened by screws with the nier to the flange I4 thus forming a rotatable unit.

rlhe spindle 8 is provided with a passage I'! from its upper free end downwardly well below bearing 4.. Extending into this passage I'I is the elbow I8 of the guide I5. In the upper end of the spindle 8, the passage I1 is counter-bored to a depth somewhat longer than the shaft I9, Fig. 4, of the winding unit generally designated at 253.

A pair of combined thrust and radial ball bearings ZI and 22, Fig. l, are secured in endwise, spaced relationship upon the upper end of the sleeve 'l and they rotatably support another sleeve 23. The lower end of sleeve 23 is externally threaded to receive a ring 24 upon whose lower periphery is a lip 25 which acts as a support for the upper, single permanent magnet 25. Abutting against the top face of bearing 2l, is a washer 2l secured by a lock nut 28 which holds rmly in place bearings ZI and 22 and spacer 2S around the sleeve l. Above the shoulder 3l) of sleeve 23, the sleeve is slightly upwardly tapered and convergent as at 3l, which serves to receive and support a bobbin 32 on which the yarn is to be wound.

Rotatably mounted on the upper end of the spindle E is the winding unit 25, shown detached in Figs. 2 to 4. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the twisting unit. rThe unit includes a body 33 having a head or ange 34 on its upper end, and this flange has a flat spot 35 against which the lower part of a tension spring 36 is placed and securely fastened by a screw 3l. The spring 56 has the form somewhat like a distorted L above the top surface of body 33. Angle 38 is lower than point 39, and just beyond the angle 38, the spring is flexed, to adjust it for tension, by a screw le which passes through a hole in the spring and is threaded into a recess 4I at the top of body 35. At the upper end of the spring, at the point 39, there is fastened a U-shaped bracket 42, the sides or wings of which extend downwardly. The lower edge of each wing is notched to fit over a pin it on which is concentrically mounted a rubber roll 44. Washers on pin 43 at opposite sides of the roll space the rubber roll from the sides of the wings of the bracket.

Immediately below the roll 44 and rotatably mounted on a pin 47, Fig. 5, is a commercial type of worm gear with a hub 45. This hub contacts on its periphery with the periphery of the rubber roll 45. The fiange 34, see Fig. 3, is notched, somewhat equidistantly from the horizontal center line, and on the outer periphery of the flange, to provide flat faces 48 and 4S that facilitate insertion of pin 4l. A slot 55 is cut into the body 33 and the flange 34, from the outer periphery to the center bore of the body, and to a depth to clear the diameter of the worm gear 5I. The worm gear 5! is fixed on shaft or pin 41 in this slot 53 and meshes with a worm screw 52 which is xedly secured in a vertical position in the upper end of the shaft I9. The passage Ila of the shaft I5 is enlarged at 54 into which the worm screw 52 fits tightly to rotate therewith. Within the body 33 are two radial ball bearings 55 and 56 which are vertically spaced and aligned and rotatably mounted on the shaft I9, with a spacer 51 between them.

Around the periphery of the fiange is a ring 58 which is held equidistantly about the periphery of the flange by three supporters 59, about apart, and carried on the flange 35i. rlf'he lower part of the body 33, Figs. 2 and 5, is provided with diametrically opposed but aligned bearing openings Bii in which the bent ends 5l of the arms or branches of a bifurcated winding member El are pivoted. These arms, Fig. 6, straddle or partially embrace the body 34 and may be inserted in or removed from openings by springing the arms apart sufficiently to remove or insert them. The lower end of the winding member 5I is provided with an eye 62 that serves as a thread guide.

A suitable means is provided for shifting the spindle 8 endwise through sleeve while the spindle and sleeve are rotating together. The spindle 3 should be shifted endwise back and forth so that the yarn which passes to the bobbin from the eye d2 will be progressively fed along the length of the bobbin, first in one direction and then in another, to form helical layers on the bobbin. There are many mechanisms for so shifting the spindle available in the market, and one such mechanism is also illustrated in a copending application S. N. 36,485, filed July l, 1948, now Patent Number 2,558,677 which is very satisfactory for this purpose.

A bobbin S2 is mounted on the spindle, and the rovings which have been passed through the drawing rolls I and combined in a single yarn 2 are passed downwardly to the rotating flier 53, then into the outer end of guide I5, along the guide, through the elbow 25 and upwardly through the passage Il in spindle ii, then through the winding unit where, as it comes out of the opening 54 of the screw 52 in the upper end of shaft I9-, the yarn 2 is deflected sidewise by a depending guide wire 65, Fig. 8, which is secured to the tenu sion spring 36, thence bent under the spring, to a position somewhat in line with the vertical center line of the rubber roller 44 and somewhat away from the periphery of the roller. The yarn thus deflected away from the worm gear 5I enters between and is propelled linearly by the rubber roll 44 and the hub 46 of the worm 5l. The roll 44 is rotated on the pin 43 by the friction of the hub 46 which receives its motion from the worm screw 52 with which it meshes. As the yarn lea-ves the rolls of the winding unit, it goes downwardly along the side of the winding arm 5I, and after passing through the eye 52, it is connected to the bobbin.

It will be noted that the spindle 8, below the passage Il, is provided with a slot 53 through which the elbow I8 extends and serves as a key to cause the flier and spindle to rotate together while allowing the spindle to move endwise. When the spindle 8 is moved vertically through the sleeve '1, in Fig. l, the elbow I8 remains in the same horizontal level but has relative movement along the slot 58 which allows the iiier with the elbow I8 to remain at the same level while the spindle 8 moves back and forth, endwise, in order to carry the winding device 2li with its winding arm 6I back and forth along the side of the bobbin 32.

The bobbin 32 is removably mounted on the and roller" '44 sertie It'opull "the yarn, thread or bundle upwardly'throughA the lspindle and feed it *to the"vfn`dirg"arn16l. The eye" 62 o ff'hth'e 'Windyriligi'arrn"li l ,l guids' the tl'ad 'an't `13he`b`- bin. 'The*haetten;nthef'peafings l 55 ana-5a :which 'hrontithehead '33 on' the* Ir'erb'er Yl9, provides a "yilding torqe"l tending "to ealis'e the hea'clfv 33; to follw `"in rotation, the rotation "of inexnher t9. 4Ther *lsosinetfriotinBetween the'te'eth of "the Worml screw"A 52" andtheljltn *Wheel "'-5r| ,"j a`r` 1jd the vfrietion"ofthe' bearings 'for thegear 152,1 alljof Wl'iielrsipplenient the 'fritin'al' drag nheadt that tends to drag the head 33 in rotation with the Ihernber f I9. The' serew"52 is 'rtatingfatA the same speed as the spindle-and 'sineej the head is lagging behind, the Worm VWheel '5l Will ldeliver the 'yarn ata r'ate`fofspeedprobortional to the difference in's'peed betweentheinember I9 and the head k33. If the head r33 vWas'ro`tkati1`igat the lsame speed as the""`sp indle,l'theref'wonld befno rotation of the gear I, on its'ottnaxis. The Windingarml thus 'frieti'nall'y -urged torotate abot the bobbin, and 'seh 'urging lwill exert a Dull on the thread or' yarn connected to the bobbin so as to keepit taut andfwintl theyarn on the bobb'inas'raidly as it is fed'to the Windingarm. f 1 n y Thertation ofv` thefWrrht/heel 5 l 'cariss'orrespondingrotation of the hub 46 and since yarn vis" nassing'bet'ween thishuh-and the frietion4 roller 4t, the yarn'wu be ptt-liedupwardly' through the spindle and delivered tothe'winding arm.. Ihe fleripheral` speedfof* the hub 46y should be equal to or greater than that of the feed rolls-l in from the upper end of the slot to its upper end, said guide opening into said slot toward said axial passage, means coupling the element and spindle for rotation together while the spindle is free to move endwise, a bobbin mounted rotatably on the end of the sleeve above said guide, means for holding the bobbin against rotation with said sleeve, a yarn-feeding device supported by the spindle for endwise travel therewith, radial thrust bearings mounted between said yarn feeding device and said spindle, said yarn feeding device being driven by the yielding torque provided by said bearings and causing a relative movement between it and said spindle, and disposed to receive a yarn to be fed as it passes upwardly through the spindle and feed it along, and a winding arm attached to said yarn feed device and conducting the yarn moved by said feed device to said bobbin, whereby when the yarn to be twisted and wound is fed downwardly along a side of said bobbin, then radially inwardly through said guide, upwardly through said spindle, outwardly through said feed device, and then to said winding arm and bobbin, said yarn will be twisted by its rotation with said guide as a balloon about the axis of the spindle, and the twisted yarn will be wound on said-bobbin.

3. In a winding and twisting apparatus for textile yarns, the combination of a sleeve, a support rotatably mounting said sleeve, a spindle slidable endwise through said sleeve, an element mounted on said sleeve for rotation therewith and having a radially extending guide open at its outer end, said spindle having, in the portion within said sleeve, a slot opening outwardly :,:1

through the side thereof for a distance at least equal to the expected amount of endwise travel of the spindle, and also having an approximate axial passage from the upper end of the slot to its upper end, said guide opening into said slot toward said axial passage, means coupling the element and spindle for rotation together while the spindle is free to move endwise, a bobbin mounted rotatably on the end of the sleeve above said guide, means for holding the bobbin against f rotation with said sleeve, a head rotatably mounted on the upper end of the spindle, a winding arm carried by the head and extending along a side of said bobbin, a pair of feed rolls carried by said head for receiving the yarn lpassing upwardly through said spindle and feeding it to said winding arm, and a driving coupling between one of said rolls and the upper end of said spindle and operating by relative movement between said spindle and head.

4. In a winding and twisting apparatus for textile yarns-the combination of a sleeve, a support rotatably mounting said sleeve, a spindle slidable endwise through said sleeve, an element mounted on said sleeve for rotation therewith and having a radially extending guide open at its outer end, said spindle having, in the portion within said sleeve, a slot opening outwardly through the side thereof for a distance at least equal to the expected amount of endwise travel of the spindle, and also having an approximate axial passage from the upper end of the slot to its upper end, said guide opening into said slot toward said axial passage, means coupling the element and spindle for rotation together while the spindle is free to move endwise, a bobbin mounted rotatably on the end of the sleeve above said guide, means for holding the bobbin against rotation with said sleeve, a head rotatably mounted on the upper end of the spindle, a winding arm 8 carried by the head and extending along a side of said bobbin, a pair of feed rolls carried by said head for receiving the yarn passing upwardly through said spindle and feeding it to said winding arm, and means carried by the head for varying the pressure on the yarn by said rolls.

5. In a winding and twisting apparatus, the combination of a sleeve, a support mounting said sleeve for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a spindle slidable endwise through said sleeve and keyed to said spindle for rotation therewith, a guide carried by said sleeve for rotation therewith and extending approximately radially from said axis and opening into said spindle, said spindle having a longitudinally extending slot into which said guide opens and also having a passage from said slot to its upper end, a bobbin carrier rotatably mounted on the said sleeve above the path of rotation of said guide, means for preventing rotation of said bobbin carrier with said sleeve, a head rotatably mounted on upper end of said spindle, cooperating feed rolls between which a yarn may pass carried by said head in a position to receive the yarn from the upper end of said spindle and pass it outwardly away from the axis of rotation of said spindle, a winding arm carried by said head and extending along the side of said bobbin carrier, and a drive coupling between the upper end of said spindle and said feed rolls for rotating said feed rolls at a rate depending on the relative movement between said head and said spindle.

6. In a winding and twisting apparatus of the type in which a yarn is looped backwardly on itself, with a rotatable guide for the yarn causing one stretch of yarn to rotate as a balloon about the other stretch as an axis, while the yarn is being fed along progressively, to impart progressively a two for one twist to the yarn, that improvement which comprises a tubular spindle mounted to rotate about and concentric with said axis and through the passage of which said yarn may move in the backwardly moving stretch of its loop, a yarn feeding unit mounted to rotate about said axis and including a pair of feed rolls between which the yarn is passed adjacent the upper end of its axial stretch, radial thrust bearings mounted between said yarn feeding unit and said spindle, and a driving coupling operated by the yielding torque provided by said bearings and causing a relative rotary movement between the spindle and said unit about the same axis, and connected to said feed rolls to pull said yarn along said axial stretch.

7. In a winding and twisting apparatus, the combination of a tubular bobbin carrier, a rotatable element on which said bobbin carrier is rotatably mounted, said element having a radially extending passage below said carrier, an axially extending passage through the carrier which communicates with the inner end of said radial passage, a member rotatably mounted on the upper end of said element and above said carrier, the upper end of said element carrying a tubular Worm screw with its passage aligned with and forming a continuation of the passage in said element, a worm wheel rotatably mounted on said member and meshing with said worm screw, a pair of peripherally engaging feed rolls each mounted for rotation on an axis crosswise and off-set from the axis of rotation of said worm screw, one of said rolls being driven by said worm wheel, and a winding arm carried by said memberI and. extending along one side of said bobbin carrier.

8. In a winding and twisting apparatus, the combination of a tubular bobbin carrier, rotatable element on which said bobbin carrier is ro tatably mounted, said element having a radially1 extending passage below said carrier, an axially extending passage through the carrier which communicates with the inner end of said radial passage, a member rotatably mounted on the upper end of said element and above said carrier, the upper end of said element carrying a tubular worm screw with its passage aligned with and forming a continuation of the passage in said element, a worm whee1 rotatably mounted on said member and meshing with said worm screw, a pair of peripherally engaging feed rolls each mounted for rotation on an axis crosswise and off-set from the axis of rotation of said worm screw, one of said feed rolls rotated by said worm wheel about an axis crosswise and laterally to one side of said worm screw, another of said feed rolls peripherally engaging with said one feed roll, a spring anchored at one end to said member and at its other end confining said another feed roll to said first feed roll while rotatably supporting it, and means carried by said member for iiexing said spring to vary the pressure of said another feed roll on said first feed roll, and a winding arm carried by said member and extending along one side of said bobbin carrier.

9. In a winding and twisting apparatus, the l combination of a tubular bobbin carrier, a rotatable element on which said bobbin carrier is rotatably mounted, said element having a radially extending passage below said carrier, an axially extending passage through the carrier which communicates with the inner end of said radial passage, a member rotatably mounted on the up per end of said element and above said carrier, a shaft mounted on said member for rotation about an axis at one side of and crosswise of the axis of rotation of said element, a yarn feed roll carried on said shaft adjacent to the upper end of said element, a second feed roll peripherally engaging said first feed roll, means mounting second feed roll for rotation and yieldingly urging it against said first feed roll, and a driving connection between said rst feed roll and the upper end of said element by which said first feed roll is driven at a rate depending upon the relative movement between said element and said member, and a winding arm carried by said member and extending along a side of said bobbin carrier.

10. A tension device, comprising a rotatably mounted, tubular shaft, a tubular head rotatably mounted thereon adjacent one end thereof, a

10 worm coupled to and forming an extension of said end of said shaft, a worm whee1 rotatably mounted on said head on an axis cross-wise of and offset sidewise from, the axis of said shaft, a delivery roll coupled to said wheel to rotate therewith, a tension wheel shaft disposed approximate lly parallel to the axis of rotation of said worm wheel, a tension wheel mounted on said tension whee1 shaft, a spring device attached to said tubular head and resiliently and yieldingly engaging said tension wheel shaft for forcing it towards the worm wheel axis to press said tension wheel against said roll, and a guide disposed in a plane transverse to and intersecting the periphery of said roll and whee1 to guide a yarn from the end of the tubular shaft to said roll and wheel in a direction approximately tangential thereto.

11. A tension device, comprising a rotatably mounted, tubular shaft, a tubular head rotatably mounted thereon adjacent one end thereof, a worm coupled to and forming an extension of said end of said shaft, a worm wheel rotatably mounted on said head on an axis cross-wise of and offset sidewise from the axis of said shaft, a delivery roll coupled to said wheel to rotate therewith, a tension wheel shaft disposed approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of said worm wheel, a tension wheel mounted on said tension wheel shaft, a spring device attached to said tu bular head at the free end face of said head, extending in a direction generally cross-wise of said end face, and urging said wheel toward said roll, and an adjusting element carried by said head and acting on said spring device to stress said device and force said wheel towards said roll with a variable and selected pressure.

JOHN J. GANNON. CHARLES P. POWELL. JOI-1N J. FISCELLA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 401,282 Kimmel et al Apr. 9, 1889 1,952,929 Littlefield Mar. 27, 1934l 2,125,823 Stoddard Aug. 2, 1938 2,143,203 Maxham Jan. 10, 1939 2,146,578 Honig Feb. 7, 1939 2,445,721 Bartholomew July 20, 1948 `2,473,521 Gwaltney June 21, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 577,911 Germany June 7, 1933 872,986 France June 25, 1942 

